Digital pathways blog

Today, Tennessee Code Academy launched Digital Pathways, their new code camp licensing program. The initiative empowers communities to place students in an engaging, real-world environment in which they are challenged to create with computer programming. The Digital Pathways program aims to make it easier for a community to conduct weeklong coding and digital literacy camps. The group trains a local instructor, provides camp supplies and offers application and payment processing. Treehouse just announced a formal partnership with Digital Pathways to provide discounted online learning for any student who attends these camps.While hosting dozens of camps in Tennessee over the past year and a half, Tennessee Code Academy has developed a proven successful computer-programming curriculum for beginner students. “We’ve naturally progressed toward this new licensing model. Digital Pathways allows local groups to provide progressive educational opportunities to their students,” said Sammy Lowdermilk, program director for Tennessee Code Academy. “This also allows us to expand our successes beyond the borders of Tennessee. Any group, anywhere can now host a code camp.”The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there will be a one million-job shortage in computer science by the year 2020. Also, computer-programming jobs are growing at two times the national rate. To address this predicted job deficit, the Digital Pathways program aims to get more students interested in pursuing a career or college degree in computer science. Groups in Tennessee and surrounding states are already signing up for the Digital Pathways program. Interested entities are encouraged to visit www.digitalpathways.org to learn more about hosting their own camps.